“We have been shocked by what we have witnessed in the USA following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers.
We have subsequently witnessed the enormous show of solidarity across the globe to promote a step change in challenging racism, discrimination, inequality and the necessary campaign for juice and positive change under the banner of Black Lives Matter.
Therefore we, in Team Fostering, articulate our commitment to valuing diversity, challenging inequality and promoting anti-discriminatory practice in the work we do to provide safe, loving and inclusive homes for children in foster care.
These recent events require us to show more than intention but to reflect on what more we can and should do now and take action to be genuinely inclusive and demonstrate our continuing challenge against racism and discrimination.
This approach requires us to be bold and open, to have challenging and honest conversations so we can learn, make tangible progress and make a lasting difference to the world the children we care for inherit.
We will not accept racism in any form at Team Fostering, and we pledge to continue to challenge racism whenever and wherever we see it.”
Jane Butler,
CEO, Team Fostering
Since the high profile media exposure about the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement, we have been starting conversations within Team Fostering about how we become more informed, educated and reflective about the lived experience of those who face prejudice and inequality.
We are talking about how best to respond so we can make a positive difference to the lives of BAME children, young people, foster carers and our staff. Any actions will be integrated into our planning and service delivery so we can make a lasting difference in challenging racism, and, more broadly, to confront discrimination in whatever form it takes. We are deliberately taking our time to ensure actions are meaningful and sustainable and to ensure that anti- discriminatory practice is at the heart of all we do.